Ryan Fowler’s Good, Bad, Ugly from a 52-7 Win Over Mercer

Alabama took care of business on Saturday against Mercer, defeating the Bears 52-7 in the annual beatdown of an FCS Opponent.

What was Good, Bad, and Ugly from Alabama's win?

Good

Alabama needed to perform to a high standard against an inferior team like Mercer and they succeeded with an impressive victory of 52-7. Instead of focusing on the opponent, it’s important to highlight how the Crimson Tide decisively defeated the Bears. The Alabama offense got off to a fast start, continuing from where they left off in Baton Rouge. We discussed the importance of playing up to the standard all week during the show and they certainly did for three hours at Saban Field in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Jalen Milroe continued his consistent play, completing 11 of 16 passes for 186 yards with two touchdowns through the air, along with 43 rushing yards and one touchdown on the ground. The Crimson Tide’s balanced offensive attack is creating significant challenges for opposing defenses. This team appears to be hitting its peak as the season progresses, when they are firing on all cylinders, they can be one of the best offensive units in college football. It was also great to see Ryan Williams score two early touchdowns, especially since he hadn’t found the end zone since the Tennessee game.
The Crimson Tide defense has made progress as the season advanced, continuing to create key turnovers at crucial moments. A prime example of this was Zabien Brown’s 68-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown, which showcased a complete team effort. The defensive pressure on the quarterback, then the tackle that caused the fumble, followed by Brown's scoop and the blockers who escorted him into the end zone. This swarm defense has been exciting to watch as it matures right before our eyes. Jihaad Campbell leads the defense with a total of nine tackles and is steadily emerging as a leader within this developing unit. The way this team converges on the ball resulting in group tackles, is a standout characteristic of their play.
Kane Wommack and the defensive assistant coaches have been patient with their young players and this patience is now yielding results as the regular season comes to a close. We are witnessing a unit that is growing in confidence as the season progresses.

Bad

Alabama is making progress in reducing its penalty yardage. Coming into the game, they averaged over 78 penalty yards per game, ranking 128th in college football. However, in this game, the Crimson Tide recorded only six penalties for a total of 60 yards, some of which were questionable calls that we discuss in the next section.

James Burnip has been one of the top punters in college football, but Saturday was not his best performance, as he averaged just 24.5 yards on two punts. Should some of the blame be placed on the Tide's offense, which hasn't provided much live practice in recent weeks? I believe Burnip will perform well when it matters most.

I would also like to have seen fewer hits on Jalen Milroe, but this is a minor concern considering the team won by 45 points.

Ugly

It's hard to find much to complain about after a 52-7 victory. However, I feel compelled to revisit the issue of the officials assigned by the SEC. Jason Autrey’s crew officiated the Mercer vs. Alabama game, and once again, we were reminded of their inconsistency over the years. Kalen DeBoer expressed frustration multiple times during the game and it seemed that this officiating team lacked confidence throughout the game.

It’s difficult to keep track of the times Autrey’s crew has faced criticism from Crimson Tide fans, I’ve lost count of their questionable calls over the years. If we ranked official crews in the SEC, I do not think we would see this group anywhere close to the top. I'm not asking for perfection from the officials, but some consistency would certainly be appreciated.

These are just some of my thoughts on the Alabama vs. Mercer game. I'll share more tomorrow at 2 PM on "The Game with Ryan Fowler" on Tide 100.9 and online at Tide1009.com. I'm always eager to hear your opinions and analyses every Monday as we discuss the Good, Bad, and Ugly, sponsored by Daniel Moore Art, which leads to some great conversations. We even give away prizes on Mondays!